• Prof.Jurgen Brauer, Augusta State University, USA, delivered a lecture on “Global Market of Small Arms – Supply Chain Model” on Tuesday, the 7th August 2007, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Prof. Sukalyan Chattopadhyay, Head, High Energy Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, delivered a lecture on the topic “In the Wonderland of ALICE” on Thursday, the 2nd August 2007, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Dr. Tansen Sen, of Baruch College, The City University of New York, and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute, delivered a lecture on the theme “Interactions between Ancient India and Ancient China : Significance, Misconceptions, and (Ir)relevances”, on Wednesday, the 25th July 2007, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Shri Kaushik Bandopadhyay, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a on 27th June 2007, on the theme “Partition of India, Refugee talk Experience, and Club Rivalry in Indian Soccer”.

• Dr. Robert Kaplan, Global Correspondent, Atlantic Monthly, visitedthe Institute on 20th June 2007, and delivered a lecture on the topic “Strategic Issues”.

• Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Ex-Foreign Minister of Thailand and eminent leader in ASEAN, delivered a lecture on the theme “Emerging Trends in ASEAN & India’s Look East Policy”, on Friday, the 18th May 2007, in the Conference Hall of the Institute. Dr. Pitsuwan was accompanied by Shri M. Rajaretnam, Director of International Centre, Goa, and some members of Asian Dialogue Society.

• Ms Monika Mondal, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered talk on the theme “Refugee Crisis in West Bengal from 1947 to 1971”, on Friday, the 27th April, 2007 in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Shri Badal K. Das, Secretary (Culture) visited the Institute on 24th March 2007, and after making a tour of the Museum, had an interactive session with the Chairman and the Fellows of the Institute.

• The following scholars visited the Institute on Wednesday, March 14, 2007. Prof. Dr. Ludger Kuehnhardt, Executive Director, Centre for European Integration Studies, University of Bonn, Germany Prof. Dr. Xuewu Gu, Department of Studies in East-Asian Politics, University of Bochum, Germany They spoke on three topics. “SAARC Countries”, “India-China Relations”, and “European Integration”. Mr Guenter Wehrmann, Honorable Consul General of Germany at Kolkata, accompanied the above scholars and participated in the programme. Ambassador Krishnan Srinivasan presided over the meeting.

• Prof. James Mayall, Professor of International Relations, University of Cambridge, visited the Institute and delivered a talk on the theme “Between Empire and the World Order : Reflections on post-Cold War interventions”, on Friday, the 2nd March 2007, in the Conference Hall of the Institute, and had academic interaction with the Institute’s Fellows.

• Shri Mrinal Kanti Chakma, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a talk on the theme “Development in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) : Past and Present of a Strategic Frontier”, on Friday, the 16th February, 2007 at 3 PM in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• The Institute, in collaboration with South Asia Research Society, felicitated the noted Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus in Kolkata on 12th February 2007, which was well attended by a lot of dignitaries in Kolkata.

• Professor Yersu Kim, a well-known philosopher from Seoul, South Korea, a participant in the Interim World Philosophy Congress held in India during 15 – 18 December 2006, visited the Institute on 20th December 2006, and had fruitful interactions with the Chairman of the Executive Council and other Fellows of the Institute.

• Professor Donald Berlin, College of Security Studies, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, delivered a talk on the theme “The Changing Oceanic Landscape in the Indian Ocean Region : Issues and Perspectives of Debate, on Monday, the 18th December 2006, in the Institute.

• Dr. Sumit Roy, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, School of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Jadavpur University, delivered a talk on the theme “Asia and Africa in a Globalising World : An Exploration”, on Friday, the 8th December 2006, in the Institute. Dr. Roy was also accompanied by Prof. Paul Wallace, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Missouri, USA, a well-known expert in many aspects of Indian Political System and State Politics, and Prof. Robin Remington Wallace, Professor of International Relations, who has taught in many universities in the US.

• Professor Ramashray Roy, Emeritus Professor, G. B. Pant Institute of Social Sciences, Allahabad, delivered a talk on the theme “Indian Democracy” on Wednesday, the 6th December 2006, in the Institute, and had scholarly interaction with the Fellows of the Institute

• Ms Sreemati Ganguly, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a talk on “Energy and Interplay of Interests in Central Asia” on 22nd November 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Shri Kaushik Bandopadhyay, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a talk on the theme Cricket, Politics, Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation in South Asia : A Study of India’s Friendship Tour of Pakistan 2004, on Wednesday, the 18th October 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Dr. Binoda Kumar Mishra, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a talk on the theme Problematic Security : A South Asian Perspective, on the 25th September 2006, at 3 PM in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• “To Develop a Research Programme for Northeast India” – this Concept Note was discussed with the scholars of the Institute on 15th September 2006 at 11 AM in the Conference Hall of the Institute. The discussion was initiated by Prof. B. B. Bhattacharya, Vice-Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, who was the guest on this occasion.

• During the Hindi Week from 14 – 21 September 2006, Hindi Diwas was observed in the Institute on 14th September 2006 and a meeting was organized on that day wherein the importance of Hindi as a national link language and its increased usage in governmental machinery was discussed.

• On 12th September 2006, Shri Krishnan Srinivasan, former Foreign Secretary and former Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, met the Chairman of the Institute and had discussions regarding the activities of the Institute.

• On 7th September 2006, the Centenary Celebrations of VANDE MATARAM was observed in the Institute by discussions on the significance of its theme and tune, and a rendering of the song by the staff and Fellow members of the Institute.

• Dr. M. Satish Kumar, from the School of Geography, Queen’s University Belfast, UK, visited the Institute on 25th August 2006, and had discussions with the Chairman and the Fellows of the Institute.

• Shri Kaushik Bandopadhyay, a Fellow of the Institute, delivered a lecture on “Cricket and Politics in India : The CAB Elections in 2006” on 23rd August 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Shri Biswarup Banerjee from the International Monetary Fund, visited the Institute on 11th August 2006 and had an interactive session with the Fellows of the Institute.

• A discussion on “Israel – Lebanon Crisis” was organized in the Institute on 10th August 2006 in which the Institute’s Fellows participated.

• Shri Kingshuk Chatterjee, a Fellow of this Institute, delivered a talk on “Gauging the Opposition in Contemporary Iran” on 26 July 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Shri Malay Mishra, Joint Secretary, Diaspora Affairs, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Govt. of India, visited the Institute on 18 July 2006, and undertook a tour of the Maulana Azad Museum, and had discussions with the Chairman and the Fellows.

• Prof. Kalyan Chatterjee, Department of Economics, The Pennsylvania State University, USA, visited the Institute on 13 July 2006, and had a discussion with the Chairman and the Fellows.

• Dr. Robert Sutter, Visiting Professor in the School of Foreign Serviceat Georgetown University, Washington D.C., visited the Institute on Monday, 26th June, 2006, and spoke on the theme US Foreign Policy towards China and its Implications for India and had an interactive session with the Fellows of the Institute.

• Prof. Jyrki Kakonen, Jean Monet Professor of International Studies, Department of Political and International Relations, University of Tampere, Finland, delivered a lecture on Environmental Conflicts on Wednesday, 14th June, 2006.

• In June 2006, Prof. Dagmar Bernstorff, formerly of South Asian StudiesCentre, Heidelberg University, Germany, visited the Institute, and had a discussion with the Chairman and the Fellows.

• A Seminar on the theme “West Bengal – Challenge of Development Now” was held on 26th May 2006 in the Conference Hall of the Institute. The discussion was initiated by Shri A. K. Chatterjee, IAS (Retd.)

• Dr. Swapna Bhattacharya, a Fellow of this Institute, delivered a talk on “The Rakhine State of Myanmar (Arakan) : Contemporary Ethnic and Political Issues observed from South-Asian Perspective” on 24th May 2006 in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Dr. Rakhee Bhattacharjee, a Fellow of the Institute delivered a lecture on “Indian Divide on Economic Growth : North-East India in the Perspective of Globalisation” on Wednesday, 26th April 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Delegates from the Peoples’ Republic of China, from Institutions like the Yunnan Academy of Social Science, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Development Research Center of the State Council of PRC, Institute for International Economic Research, and Department of World Economy & Trade, visited the Institute on 3rd April, 2006 and had discussions with the Chairman of the Executive Council of the Institute.

• Dr Swarupa Gupta, a Fellow of the Institute, spoke on the theme “Bengali Evaluations of Neighbouring Ethnicities : Samajik Comparison, Otherness and Unity, 1867-1905”, in the Conference Hall of the Institute. Prof. Chittabrata Palit, Deptt. of History, Jadavpur University, presided over this seminar, which was held on 28th February 2006.

• Shri Sayeed Hasan Khan, a noted journalist, author and an old member of the International Peace and Socialist Movement, London, visited the Institute on 16 February 2006 and had discussions with the Chairman of the Executive Council of the Institute, on the research activities and focus of the Institute.

• Ms Sanjana Joshi, a Fellow of the Institute, spoke on the theme the China Factor in India's Look East Policy on 27th January 2006, in the Conference Hall of the Institute.

• Prof. Lok Raj Boral, former Ambassador of Nepal to India, visited the Institute on 19th January 2006, and had an interactive session with the scholars of the Institute.

• Prof. Lars Eklund, Deputy Director, Swedish-South Asia Network, visited the Institute on 3rd January 2006, and had an interactive session with the Institute's scholars on the possibilities of research collaboration between our two Institutions.

• A Lecture by Ms Priya Singh, Fellow of the Institute, on the theme “Yitzhak Rabin and the Palestinian Question” on Wednesday, 7th December 2005, at 3 PM in the Conference Hall of the Institute. Prof. Pradip Sarbadhikari of Toronto University, Canada, participated in the post-lecture discussion with the Institute's scholars.

• On 1st December 2005, Prof. Muchkund Dubey, IFS (Retd.), visited our Institute and conducted an interactive session with our Fellows, familiarized himself with the work being done, and suggesting new research themes.

• Maulana Azad Memorial Lecture was organized by the Institute on 11th November 2005, the 117th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Prof. Bimal Prasad, (former Dean, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi, and Ambassador to Nepal), Director,Rajendra Prasad Academy, New Delhi, delivered the said Lecture on the theme "India's Partition in Historical Perspective", in the Institute premises. A booklet containing the text of his lecture was also published during this occasion.

• Prof. Baladas Ghoshal, formerly of School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, delivered a lecture on "Islam in South-East Asia" on 21st October 2005, and had an interactive session with the scholars of the Institute.

• Vice-Admiral (Retd.) Jacob, Member, National Security Advisory Board, Govt. of India, visited the Institute on 30th September 2005, and had an interactive session with the scholars of the Institute.

• Shri Sumith A. Nakandala, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Southern India, Chennai, visited the Institute on 16th September 2005, and had an interactive session with the scholars of the Institute.

• Hindi Saptah was observed in the Institute from 14 – 21 September 2005 . The importance of Hindi as the official language was stressed in a meeting held in the Institute on 14.9.05 and it was also decided that abstracts of some of the important English publications of the Institute will be brought out in future.

• Dr. Abu Salman Shahjahanpuri of Abul Kalam Azad Research Institute, Karachi, Pakistan, visited the Institute on 24th August 2005 and delivered a talk on the ideals of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad with reference to the present-day context. He was accompanied by Mr Shah Nawaz Ahmad Khan and Dr. Jamshed Ouamar, Honorary Chairman and General Secretary respectively of Maulana Azad Study Circle, Ranchi, who spoke about the secular thoughts of Maulana Azad.